Iconic Canadian Foods You Can Make at Home

Make this East Coast classic right at home, no matter which part of the country you live. Just don’t forget the donair sauce for dipping these garlicky, cheesy bites.

The history of the Nanaimo bar can be traced back to the Vancouver Island city of Nanaimo, B.C., with the first known recipe published in 1953. Requiring no baking, Nanaimo bars have become a favourite dessert thanks to the ease of making them along with their undeniable sweetness.

Montrealers are understandably proud of their distinctive bagels, which are thinner than the New York variety with a larger hole, and boiled in honey-sweetened water before baked in a wood-fired oven. While an authentic Montreal bagel is understandably tough to replicate, this recipe is sure to be a hit when served at the breakfast table.

You’d be hard-pressed to find one of these delightful fried pastries outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Known as ‘Persians’ locally, these sweet, cinnamon-flavoured treats are smothered in a vibrant strawberry glaze that’s truly delectable. Get inspired by learning about the history of these sumptuous rolls.

Many Canadians may not realize that our neighbours to the south are not so familiar with butter tarts — that quintessential Canadian dessert that originated with pioneers in the Prairies, in which butter, sugar, syrup and egg fill a flaky pastry shell. Ask around and you’ll discover many bakers use their own tried-and-true recipes, but you can’t go wrong with this classic from Anna Olson, which stars maple syrup along with toasted pecan pieces for added crunch.

When it comes to lobster rolls, the fresher the ingredients, the better. This recipe starts with a live lobster. Be sure to toast your bun before you fill it up with a mixture of mayo, lemon juice, green onions, chopped romaine hearts and tender morsels of lobster meat.

A graham cracker crust contains a sweet milky filling and meringue top. This airy pie recipe is the perfect end to a summer picnic meal.

An iconic Québec specialty, these meat-filled pies have a history dating back to the 1600s, and are as distinctively Canadian as it gets. This spicy, meaty recipe gives anyone the ability to recreate the iconic meal right at home.

Based on one of Canada’s most popular treats, this giant red velvet cake sandwich is filled with a creamy marshmallow-y layer with a milk chocolate coating.

This famous Newfoundland dish features boiled potatoes, turnips, carrots, peas and cabbage together with salted beef and roasted turkey or pork. Most would even recommend tacking on a side of pickled beets, stuffing and buns. Talk about a comforting Canadian feast!

Make your favourite snack flavour right at home with this addictive recipe. Toss it on popcorn for your kids’ after-school snack — or on roasted potatoes for a sweet taste of nostalgia at dinnertime.

BeaverTails were first introduced in 1978 in Killaloe, Ontario, with a hunk of dough stretched to resemble the tail of a beaver, then deep-fried and topped with butter and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar. As the popularity of the dessert grew, so did the available varieties, and BeaverTails are now topped with everything from chocolate and bananas to Reese’s Pieces.

Montreal smoked meat is made by curing and salting beef brisket for about a week, before being smoked, cooked and steamed to tender perfection. Here, the iconic Canadian food is featured in an epic sandwich, made even better with turkey, cheese, mustard, pickles and veggies.

This family recipe combines beef, pork and lots of potatoes, cooked slow and low until the meat is tender and the potatoes can be mashed easily. The result is a rich holiday favourite.

What better way to enjoy the best of summer’s bounty than turning fresh picked Saskatoon berries and rhubarb into a sweet, summertime pie?

A stovetop steamed dumpling dish with an odd name, grunts are old-fashioned tastes of yesteryear. This version makes use of Canadian blueberries, which grow throughout on both coasts, for a true taste of our country’s bounty.

Face your fear of making ice cream with this easy recipe that will help you fill your freezer with that orange and licorice flavour that’s quintessential to so many Canadian childhoods.

Chocolate fudge, coconut and oats are rolled into delicious little bites, making a perfect kitchen-party treat.